Landing their first record deal with Twin/Tone in 1984, Soul Asylum recorded a total of four albums for the local label: Say What You Will... Everything Can Happen in 1984 (later reissued as Say What You Will, Clarence... Karl Sold the Truck), Made To Be Broken in 1986, While You Were Out in 1986, and the EP Clam Dip and Other Delights in 1988. The band then switched to A&M, releasing Hang Time in 1988 and And the Horse They Rode In On in 1990 under that label. Although they enjoyed some success as a live band, Soul Asylum suffered from low album sales and considered disbanding.
In 1992, they signed with Columbia Records to produce Grave Dancers Union, a record that would come to transform them from underground college rockers to international superstars. The first two singles off the album, Somebody To Shove and Black Gold, both came in at high positions at the Modern Rock and Album Rock charts, but it was the album's third track and it's video of missing teens that led them to their major breakthrough. Runaway Train peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, raised album sales to double-platinum level, and won Soul Asylum the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1994.
In 1995, Soul Asylum followed up the success of Grave Dancers Union with Let Your Dim Light Shine, which climbed to #6 on the Billboard 200 and featured the #1 Modern Rock track Misery. After releasing Candy From A Stranger in 1998, the band members took a break from recording and didn't release a new studio album for the better part of seven years. During the interim singer Dave Pirner released a solo album and Dan Murphy toured and recorded with Golden Smog.
They reunited in 2004 to record their ninth full-length album, The Silver Lining, brought together by the news of Mueller being diagnosed with throat cancer. Up until this point, Soul Asylum had always included Murphy, Mueller, and Pirner, despite several line-up changes. This changed on June 17th, 2005, when Mueller passed away after finishing his work on several tracks on the new album. The Silver Lining was released in 2006 and dedicated to Karl Mueller's life and memory, with Murphy expressing that, "For me, this record is Karl."
In late 2005, ex-Replacements bassist (and current Guns N' Roses bassist) Tommy Stinson and former Prince drummer Michael Bland joined Soul Asylum in tribute to the late Karl Mueller. They completed their American tour in support of The Silver Lining in late 2006. In November and December 2006 they opened for Cheap Trick on their American tour. On March 10th, 2007, Soul Asylum joined Cyndi Lauper, Mint Condition, and Lifehouse to hold a concert to benefit Wain McFarlane, the leader of the legendary reggae band Ipso Facto, to help pay for the expenses of a kidney transplant.
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Shut Down
Soul Asylum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been loved and hated
I've been pulled aside and told that life was overrated
No, I don't believe it
I just can't conceive it
I can write all night but in the morning I can't read it
Oh no, don't know what's the matter
If I don't get what I want
And there ain't enough to go around
I become oblivious to the obvious
Just ridiculous
As I flip the pages
You're a time that ageless
In between us lies a calm before the storm that rages
Though we were related
Couldn't be separated
Tried to get ahead but only got decapitated
If I don't get what you want
And you don't get what I need
We become oblivious to the obvious
Just dysfunctional
Shut down
When I can't get keep from getting down
And I grow tired of hangin' 'round
I become invisible, unlivable
Just dysfunctional
Shut down
The lyrics to Soul Asylum’s song Shut Down can be interpreted in different ways depending on how an individual perceives them, but generally, the song is about life being overrated, the need for validation, and the effects of not getting what you want. The opening lines, “I’ve been vindicated, I’ve been loved and hated, I’ve been pulled aside and told that life was overrated,” show how the singer has experienced different things in life, from being praised to criticized, and still feels unsure about their purpose.
The second verse, “If I don’t get what I want and there ain’t enough to go around, I become oblivious to the obvious, just ridiculous,” indicates that the singer focuses too much on their own desires and can be selfish, leading them to miss glaring truths around them. In the chorus, “If I don’t get what you want and you don’t get what I need, we become oblivious to the obvious, just dysfunctional, shut down,” suggests that relationships can also be hindered by the pursuit of individual wants.
The song’s bridge, “When I can’t keep from getting down and I grow tired of hangin’ ‘round, I become invisible, unlivable, just dysfunctional, shut down,” showcases how the singer has become disillusioned by life and shuts down, becoming detached from others. In essence, Soul Asylum’s Shut Down is a song about the futility of life and how the quest for personal validation and satisfaction can lead to negative consequences, affecting oneself and others.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been vindicated
I have been proven right after a period of doubt or adversity.
I've been loved and hated
I have received both affection and loathing from others.
I've been pulled aside and told that life was overrated
I have been told that the value of life has been exaggerated.
No, I don't believe it
I do not accept this point of view.
I just can't conceive it
I cannot imagine such a perspective being valid.
I can write all night but in the morning I can't read it
I can write extensively, but am unable to comprehend what I have written in the morning.
Oh no, don't know what's the matter
I am uncertain regarding my current predicament.
Stuck up on a ladder, scared of coming down
I am in a difficult position and am frightened of the potential consequences of my next move.
If I don't get what I want
And there ain't enough to go around
If I fail to obtain my desired outcome and there are insufficient resources for all involved.
I become oblivious to the obvious
Just ridiculous
I become blind to the clearly evident and act out in foolish ways.
As I flip the pages
You're a time that ageless
As I turn through life's experiences, you remain constant and enduring.
In between us lies a calm before the storm that rages
There is a period of tranquility between us which is soon to be replaced by greater turmoil.
Though we were related
Couldn't be separated
Despite our close bond, there was no way to avoid being distanced from one another.
Tried to get ahead but only got decapitated
I attempted to make progress, but instead suffered a major setback.
If I don't get what you want
And you don't get what I need
If either of us fail to secure what we desire from the other.
We become oblivious to the obvious
Just dysfunctional
We cannot see what is clear and our relationship becomes impaired.
Shut down
Withdrawal from communication and interaction.
When I can't get keep from getting down
And I grow tired of hangin' 'round
When I am unable to maintain a positive outlook and become weary of remaining in one place for too long.
I become invisible, unlivable
Just dysfunctional
I feel hidden and impossible to engage with or live with.
Shut down
Withdrawal from communication and interaction.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID PIRNER, DAVID ANTHONY PIRNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind